Florida

About Florida

Miami is located in the southeastern state of Florida, on the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean coasts. According to 2010 estimates, there are more than 18 million permanent inhabitants in Florida, making it the fourth most populated state in United States. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee and the distinction of the largest city goes to Jacksonville. The largest metropolitan area in Florida is the Miami metropolitan area.

State Nickname

Florida is rightly named the "Sunshine State" because of the excess of sunshine that this state received throughout the year. The name was adopted in a 1970 legislature by the government of Florida to follow the custom of all other states in U.S. The nickname is indicated by a rising sun on the Florida license plates.

Climate Summary

The climate of Florida is not constant throughout the state because of the fact that the entire state is very close to the ocean. A part of Florida has a humid subtropical climate, the region to the north of Lake Okeechobee. In the coastal areas there is a true tropical climate, providing a pleasant weather for the most parts of the year.

State Tax Situation

Similar to most of the other cities in Florida, some of the major taxes collected include sales tax, use tax, corporate income tax, intangible tax and many other minor tax. However in the state of Florida you are not charged with a personal income tax unlike many other states in United States. Paying and finding knowledge about tax rates is very easy with local tax jurisdiction.

Government Summary

The Florida Constitution defines the basic structure, function, duties and various operations of the government. The state government is run by three distinct branches with defines powers: executive, Judicial and legislative. The legislature has the power to enact bills which then need to be signed by the governor for them to become statures.

State Seal

The state seal of Florida was adopted in 1970, however many of the errors in the original seal were corrected in a revised seal passed by the Governor of Florida in 1985. The seal representing the state of Florida has a Seminole Indian woman scattering seeds, sun shining beyond mountains and a steamboat charting a river.

Motto & Description

The official state motto of Florida is the quote "In God We Trust", a quote that is also present on every dollar bill. The motto has been widely accepted since 1800's as the state motto, however had not been officially passed until in 2006 when the Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush signed the House Bill to make the Motto official.

State Flag

The state flag of Florida is the state seal emblazoned on a crimson red colored X sign. The Flag is meant to represent as the land of sunshine, rivers, lakes, palm trees and flowers. The flag was adopted in 1899 by the government of Florida.

State Bird

The state bird of Florida is the Northern Mockingbird, which is incidentally also the state bird of Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. The bird was adopted by the Florida legislative in 1927 according to Senate Concurrent Resolution. The mocking bird is native to the state of Florida and has a pleasant uplifting song.

State Flower

The state flower of Florida is the Orange Blossom which is Native to the state of Florida and surroundings. The Orange Blossom was designated as the Florida state Flower by a 1909 legislature in the Concurrent Resolution. It holds the distinction of being one of the most fragrant flowers in Florida.

State Animal

A Florida Panther is the state animal of Florida. It is currently the most endangered animals in Florida and if you want to see it, head out to Miami zoo. The panther chosen in 1982 by the government as a state animal after it was voted by numerous students throughout the state.

State Song And Description

The State song of Florida is the "The Swanee River" by Stephen C. Foster, considered one of America's best music story-tellers. The song was written in 1851 describing the Suwannee River which flows from the Okeefenokee Swamp from Georgia and makes its way into Florida. The song was adopted in 1935 through the House Concurrent Resolution.

State Colors

The state of Florida has no officially chosen state color, however the unofficial state color of Florida is considered to be Orange. The Orange color comes from the state Nickname. Other unofficial state colors of Florida are Crimson red and Gold that are prominent in the state seal.